Why is early childhood Education important?

“Early childhood curriculum and care (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Early childhood education is a term that refers to the period of time from a child’s birth to when they enter kindergarten is an important time in children’s lives because it is when they first learn how to interact with others, including peers, teachers, and parents, and also begin to develop interests that will stay with them throughout their lives.

 early childhood education is only about learning basic skills. “It’s so much more than that,” she says. “It’s a time when children learn critical social and emotional skills and a partnership is formed between the child, their parents, and the teacher. When this is done successfully, it lays the groundwork for it to continue throughout the child’s education.”

What is early childhood education?

While early childhood education continues to be of high importance to parents, policymakers, and the public, many incorrectly identify this critical period as birth through preschool or kindergarten.

Although the brain develops the majority of its neurons between birth and 3 years old, early childhood education is defined as the period of birth through 8 years old, correlating with the second- or third-grade level.

Why is early childhood education important?

In terms of human development, the importance of early childhood education can’t be overstated.

A child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development. Well-established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education as an essential building block of a child’s future success.

Neurological research shows that the early years play a key role in children’s brain development.

Babies begin to learn about the world around them from a very early age – including during the prenatal, perinatal (immediately before and after birth) and postnatal period.

Children’s early experiences – the bonds they form with their parents and their first learning experiences – deeply affect their future physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.

Optimizing the early years of children’s lives is the best investment we can make as a society in ensuring their future success.
Early childhood education is similar to a training program given to young children. During class, children will gain the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development needed in order to help them have a brighter future. If done right, early childhood education can help in developing a lifelong love of learning in children.

BENEFITS:

1. Socialization

Humans are very social beings and the main concept of socialization takes root in early childhood. In a safe environment away from family, children meet other people of their age, sowing the seeds of ‘socialization’ and ‘friendship’ in young minds. This helps to develop self-confidence in your children by eliminating their shy nature.

2. Cooperation

During this phase, children learn to share, cooperate, take turns and so on. These are all part of a secure social life. This is especially beneficial for an only child, who is not familiar with having to share things. In the safe environment provided, the child will learn to cooperate with guidance from professionals.

3. Value of Education

The new environment provided in preschool gives children an entirely different perspective on the requirement of education. Grasping knowledge and applying them to their lives demonstrates the value of education.

4. Respect

The environment in preschool helps children learn to become civil towards one another and they start to understand that the concept of respect is not just limited to people and belongings, but also to their environment.

5. Confidence and Self Esteem

A sense of wellbeing is important for a person to explore their talents. The positive interactions with peers and teachers encourage a positive view of themselves. This is an important impact of early childhood education.

6. Brain Development

Professionally crafted activities in preschool enhance the development of the brain. Various activities involving analyzing and logical reasoning help them to develop their skills.